April 29, 2013

Playoffs Are Coming

It’s a hockey fan’s favorite time of year….play off season. Here is all the info you needto know. I am cheering for Pittsburg, Ottawa, Washington, and Boston. In the West:Chicago, Detroit, San Jose, and LA. Here is the playoff bracket. After the jump is all theinfo.

The Pittsburgh Penguins entered the playoffs as the Eastern Conference regular seasonchampions, earning 72 points. The New York Islanders earned 55 points during theregular season to finish eighth overall in the Eastern Conference. This is the fourthplayoff meeting for these two teams, with the Islanders having won all three of theprevious playoff series. Their most recent meeting was in the 1993 Patrick DivisionFinal, where the Islanders defeated the Penguins in seven games. Pittsburgh won four ofthe five games in this year's regular season series.The Montreal Canadiens entered the playoffs as the second seed in the EasternConference by winning the Northeast Division with 63 points. The Ottawa Senatorsearned 56 points during the regular season to finish seventh overall in the EasternConference. This is the first playoff series between these two teams. Each team won twoof the four games in this year's regular season series.The Washington Capitals entered the playoffs as the third seed in the Eastern Conferenceby winning the Southeast Division with 57 points. The New York Rangers earned 56points during the regular season to finish sixth overall in the Eastern Conference. Thisis the eighth playoff meeting for these two teams, and the fourth in the last five years,with the Capitals having won four of the seven previous series. This is a rematch of theprevious year's Eastern Conference Semifinal, which New York won in seven games.New York won two of the three games in this year's regular season series.The Boston Bruins entered the playoffs as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference with62 points. The Toronto Maple Leafs earned 57 points during the regular season to finishfifth overall in the Eastern Conference. This is the fourteenth playoff series between thesetwo teams, with the Maple Leafs having won eight of the previous thirteen series. Theirmost recent meeting was the 1974 Stanley Cup Quarterfinal, where the Bruins defeatedthe Maple Leafs in four games. Boston won three of the four games in this year's regularseason series.The Chicago Blackhawks entered the playoffs as the Western Conference regularseason champions and Presidents' Trophy winners, earning 77 points. The MinnesotaWild earned 55 points during the regular season to finish eighth overall in the WesternConference. This is the first playoff meeting for these two teams. Chicago won two of thethree games in this year's regular season series.The Anaheim Ducks entered the playoffs as the second seed in the Western Conferenceby winning the Pacific Division with 66 points. The Detroit Red Wings earned 56 pointsduring the regular season to finish seventh overall in the Western Conference. This is thesixth playoff meeting for these two teams, with the Red Wings having won three of thefive previous series. The most recent meeting of these teams was in the 2009 WesternConference Semifinals, which Detroit won in seven games. Detroit won two of the threegames in this year's regular season series.The Vancouver Canucks entered the playoffs as the third seed in the Western Conferenceby winning the Northwest Division with 59 points. The San Jose Sharks earned 57 pointsduring the regular season to finish sixth overall in the Western Conference. This is thesecond playoff series between these two teams, with the only previous meeting being the2011 Western Conference Final, where Vancouver defeated San Jose in five games. SanJose won all three games in this year's regular season series.The St. Louis Blues entered the playoffs as the fourth seed in the Western Conferencewith 60 points. The Los Angeles Kings, entering as the defending Stanley Cupchampions, earned 59 points during the regular season to finish fifth overall in theWestern Conference. This is the fourth playoff series between these two teams, withSt. Louis having won two of the three previous series. The most recent meeting was theprevious year's Western Conference Semifinal, in which the Kings swept the Blues out ofthe playoffs. Los Angeles won all three games in this year's regular season series.